Will there be changes to Egypt's foreign policy after the appointment of Mohamed as the country's new foreign minister, asks Doaa El-Bey Egypt's newly appointed foreign minister, Mohamed , is expected to manage the country's foreign affairs during the transitional post-revolutionary period. However, former foreign minister Nabil El-Arabi's performance in the job may have made 's task more challenging, leading observers to ask what changes the country's foreign policy could see under 's direction. El-Arabi, the first foreign minister after Egypt's 25 January Revolution, became very popular as a result of the way he ran the Foreign Ministry during his short period in office, and shortly after his appointment told state television that he would be following in his predecessor's footsteps. "Of course, we will try to focus on the hopes of the people here in Egypt and what they are looking for in foreign affairs after the revolution," said. "We will try to realise their hopes and ambitions." added that improving relations with Africa and the Arab countries would be a priority, and that the US and the EU would remain "essential partners". Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, a senior diplomatic source said that all Egypt's foreign ministers, especially after January's popular revolution, follow policies that conform to the will of the people. was likely to follow El-Arabi's lead, the source said, while also adding that "different people can make variations within an overall policy". As a result, there has been speculation that may not make the kind of statements that his predecessor specialised in, including about the need to normalise relations with Iran or to open the Rafah Crossing with Gaza, regardless of the concerns of Egyptian and Palestinian parties. El-Arabi managed to convince the two biggest Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, to sign a reconciliation agreement in Cairo last month, leading the source to comment that El-Arabi's performance overall had been a good one. However, improving relations with Iran did not only depend on Egypt, the source said, adding that "perhaps the repatriation of an Iranian diplomat two weeks ago after he was accused of spying against Egypt could hamper steps towards improving relations with Iran, and there may be other hurdles." Egypt could now serve as the arena for Palestinian reconciliation, he said, though further steps towards that goal would also depend on Fatah and Hamas. El-Arabi had followed the policy of the post-revolutionary government, which had also been to improve Egypt's relations with Africa. Visits by Egyptian delegations to Uganda in April and to Ethiopia in May had eased tensions between Egypt and other Nile basin states, while persuading both states to postpone ratification of the Nile Basin agreement until the election of a new Egyptian parliament and president. The agreement seems likely to decrease Egypt's quota of Nile water and to deprive it of the right to veto the building of dams by other Nile Basin countries, something that had been included in previous agreements. was appointed foreign minister by prime minister Essam Sharaf on Sunday, and is expected to be sworn in soon. His appointment replaces that of El-Arabi, who was unanimously chosen last month to head the Arab League to replace outgoing secretary-general and Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa. has held many important posts during his diplomatic career, including at the Egyptian embassies in Israel, London, Washington and Kuwait. He was Egypt's ambassador to Germany for eight years from 2001 onwards, and his final post before retiring from the diplomatic service was as assistant minister for economic affairs and international relations. He also served as the coordinator of the Arab Economic Summit held at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. 's broad experience, notably in Germany when relations were significantly upgraded, especially in the cultural field, will stand him in good stead in the new post. was not associated with the regime of ousted former president Hosni Mubarak, and this may also lend him popular support and confidence. Speculation over the identity of Egypt's new foreign minister started as soon as El-Arabi was chosen as chief of the Arab League. However, before 's appointment it had focussed on Fayza Abul-Naga, the current minister of planning and international cooperation. Nabil Fahmi, former Egyptian ambassador in Washington, was also on top of the list of candidates. Fahmi's falling out with the previous regime had then taken him to an academic post as dean of the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Cairo. (see , portrait of the week, by Bahgory p.19)
